Margin Call

MARGIN CALL

Director : J.C Chandon

Year : 2011

Genre : Drama

Rating : ***

As we all know across the world, the economy is in crisis. Unemployment is at an all time high, businesses are collapsing at an alarming rate and entire countries are at breaking point. While many are living on the breadline, there are those who seem to earn billions at the expense of others and 'Margin Call' can show how one mistake in the market can completely obliterate a business, destroy lives and collapse an entire economy. The movie actually chronicles 36 hours which shows the initial stages of the crippling 2007-2008 financial crisis and with a cast of brilliant actors, a riveting script and a claustrophobic atmosphere, 'Margin Call' manages to be engaging and infuriating in equal measure.

The movie begins with a large amount of people being laid off in a Manhattan office block, including the head of risk management (Stanley Tucci) who has been working on a very important document. Before leaving the office, he gives the USB stick which contains the document to his risk analyst (Zachary Quinto) who proceeds to finish the document after hours. After punching in numbers, he works out that due to the volatilty of his company's portfolio of mortgage backed securities and the excessive leverage used, the firm is about to lose more than the entire market capitalisation, meaning that the company will dissolve the stock markets and bankrupt itself. On discovering this, he alerts his floor manager (Kevin Spacey) about what is inevitabely going to happen and the entire company has to come to a drastic decision about what to do.

'Margin Call' is the first full length movie by J.C Chandor who explores the world of business, capitalism, greed and investment fraud in a way which is engrossing, without being overly complicated about the figures and statistics used in the film. Filming the movie predominantely in one location, Chandor creates a very claustrophobic atmosphere in which the helplessness of the characters involved can be clearly felt. Their entire careers are collapsing around them and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it. In a world where people are losing their jobs at an extremely alarming rate, I am sure many will be able to relate to the emotions shown by the characters in this movie. It feels like the narrative is a metaphorical whirlpool which no-one can escape from, pulling everyone into the depths of unemployment.

The cast is an interesting one, with Stanley Tucci and Kevin Spacey giving their good performances which we have come to both expect and rely upon. Furthermore, Zachary Quinto convincingly portrays a man who discovers a horrible truth which, whether he likes it or not, he has to break to everyone he cares about. Jeremy Irons is the stand out performance in the movie as the CEO of the doomed company, whose calm demeanour shadows a much darker, scheming mind; ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to earn as much as possible, even if it means destroying other companies and careers. However, Demi Moore and Paul Bettany feel underused in the movie, especially Moore who is the only female member of the cast of 'Margin Call'. She is reduced to a secondary role as the chief risk management officer who has devise a solution to the potentially disastrous problem. Even though she delivers a good performance, she is hardly given any screen time, which is surprising for an actress of Moore's stature in Hollywood today. Paul Bettany has proved in movies such as 'Gangster No.1' that he is a fantastic actor, but 'Margin Call' does not utilise his talents enough - the usual 'zazz' that comes from a Bettany performance is missing.

'Margin Call' is a heavy-handed movie about the inner workings of a business, and for those who prefer a more interesting, action driven narrative movie, 'Margin Call' won't be for them. Most of the movie involves conversations about finance and stocks and I am sure that a movie like that would not attract a huge audience. Despite being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, 'Margin Call'  did not receive the recognition it deserves, especially Jeremy Irons, who should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. It is a well paced, thoughtful and engaging movie which engrossed me throughout. Although some scenes may seem long-winded and not much happens in terms of plot, I think that those who enjoy movies about business and finance will really find 'Margin Call' riveting.

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